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Merging two drip systems

I am a newbie so I apologize for the question if it's obvious. I purchased a couple of Orbit Vegetable Garden kits that I want to attach to my 1/2" mainline. The kit uses DripLock or a Quik-Loc connector.

Unfortunately, the mainline from the Orbit Drip Master does not work with the couplings that I bought....the Orbit mainline is slightly smaller.

Someone suggested using a male and female hose end at the end of the Quik-Loc and at the end of my 1/2" mainline but I wasn't sure if this was the right thing to do or not.

Joining incompatibly sized "main-lines

Hi, and welcome to the forum.

One of the most confusing parts about drip systems is the use of 3 different sized (diameter) of mainline (AKA "1/2 inch) The outside diameters range from 0.5 to 0.710 inches. Most are 0.700 outside diameter. I can not see your system, and have not used Orbit kits, so please take my advice knowing of these limitation.

When I install, I use the 0.700 exclusively. This is becomming the most common size, and is utilized by "DIG" whose products are available form Sprinklerwarehouse.com. Dig makes a straight compression fitting that will attach to all 3 coomon sizes. Cost about $1.70. DIG is also available at H*me De*ot. You attach one sized hose to one side and the other sized hose to the other. Since you may need these attachments as "T's", use the same sized "T" as your mainline, on all 3 sides of the "T". then use the adaptor from the branched "T"leg to your other sized straight pipe.

You can also use the male/femal suggestion, but it sounds cumbersome. Best solution, is changing all the mainline to one size. You can also use barbed connectors, althogh I suspect you are trying to attach two sizes that differ enough that inserting the barb in the small one will be challanging.One helpful hint is to use a WATER based lubicant, like KY Jelly. Avoid oil based lubricants like Vaseline or WD40, as they will eat away at the tubing. You may have to use a compresion clamp onthe large sized side, but usually in Low Volume/ Low Pressur irrigation this is unecessary. Hope you have a filter followed by a pressure regulatior on the system (assuming yur pressure is above 30 PSI).

RE: Merging two drip systems

I am a newbie so I apologize for the question if it's obvious. I purchased a couple of Orbit Vegetable Garden kits that I want to attach to my 1/2" mainline. The kit uses DripLock or a Quik-Loc connector.

Unfortunately, the mainline from the Orbit Drip Master does not work with the couplings that I bought....the Orbit mainline is slightly smaller.

Someone suggested using a male and female hose end at the end of the Quik-Loc and at the end of my 1/2" mainline but I wasn't sure if this was the right thing to do or not.

Thoughts?

I assume you are referring to Orbits DripLoc kits? If so, they use special slip on connectors that connect parts of the 1/2" tubing together. These connectors are generally meant to connect drip tubing to drip tubing. There is a special piece they have that allows the connection of a hose bibb to the 1/2" drip line as shown here: http://www.orbitonline.com/products/Kits/03/04/02/1750/ .

The thing to realize is that when it comes to male/female threaded connections, there are two popular standards of threading, hose bibb threading (HBT) and Standard Pipe threading (SPT). SPT is what is generally used in plumbing pipe, both what's running around in your house (excluding attachment points such as the tubing from the shut-off valve to the toilet) as well as irrigation plumbing. HBT is what is used for garden hoses and garden hose accessories.

The drip kit you purchased likely includes a Female HBT to tubing adapter (you can see this in the top right picture of the previous Orbit web page link above). But if you want to connect the drip tubing to an existing irrigation or other plumbing line, there are a few things to consider.

First is backflow prevention. If you are connecting to an existing irrigation pipe system, you likely already have some sort of back flow prevention. If you are trying to connect to existing house plumbing, you will need to separate the house plumbing from the irrigation via a back flow prevent-er as required by local codes.

Next, there are a couple of ways to connect the tubing to an existing plumbing pipe. The first is to find some sort of HPTxSPT adapter (I've seen them before in the drip irrigating system at H*me Dep*t, and might be available here at our sponsor's web page as well). If you go this route, you will need a MALE HPT connector to connect to the Female HPT that came with the drip kit. The SPT side can be either male or female, you just have to get the opposite sex for what you are connecting to at the mainline. The only time pipe sex is important is you never want to screw a plastic male around a metal female. So if you are connecting to a copper mainline, then you need to get a female copper fitting. From there, you either have to have a male to male HPTxSPT connector, or you'll have to get some sort of male to male SPTxSPT to screw into the copper female, and then attach the female SPT to male HPT, which in turn attaches to the female HPT to tubing adapter with your kit.

The other possibility is that Orbit might make a Male AST to tubing adapter. I know at L*wes, I was able to find such an animal in the drip irrigation stuff they carried. I know the way I ran my drip irrigation was that I used PVC underground to go from automatic irrigation valves to under the flower beds. Once in the flower beds, I ran copper from the underground PVC to an above ground female 1/2" AST fitting. I could then transition strait to the 1/2" drip tubing via a the 1/2" AST male to tubing adapter.